Clip feed track

ABSTRACT

921,438. Seals. W. R. GRACE &amp; CO. Aug. 5, 1960 [Aug. 18, 1959], No. 26689/62. Divided out of 921,437. Class 146 (2). A deformable clip for sealing the twisted neck of a collapsible bag container, is shaped as shown in Fig. 3. The clips may be of differing sizes to accommodate varying bags and they may be marked with identifying data. The adjustable sealing head is described in Specification 921,437.

Dec. 12, 1961 D. RICHARDSON 3,012,647

CLIP FEED TRACK Original Filed Aug. 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J0 i I I QI, a 4/, N 5/0 I2 Ill/I 40 /d 10 l, TQ

I 24 F i no.2. i 2 5 1 x C' 46 4o 42 IAI INVENTOR DONALD RICHARDSONATTORNEYS Dec. 12, 1961 o. RICHARDSON 3,012,647

CLIP FEED TRACK Original Filed Aug. 18, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG"? iFIG 2 FIG. 9.

so g 54 so DONALD RICHARDSON IN VENTOR Maud, 14%f-W ATTOR EYS illnitecititates Fatent 3,912,647 Fatented Dec. 12, 1961 3 Claims. (Cl. 193-33)This invention relates to a novel clip feed track which may accommodatea plurality of different size clips used in conjunction with thecrimping head, and is a division of my copending application, Serial No.834,467.

For sometime it has been recognized that the sealing of food, meat inparticular, in impermeable flexible plastic containers from which airhas been exhausted, produces a superior product and package. Manyapparatus have been devised to effectivelyseal collapsible plasticcontainers, such as the machine disclosed in United States Patent No.2,733,442. This invention in particular relates to an improvement oversuch devices, and specifically relates to means for controlling theamount of crimping so that a single crimping head may effectivelyoperate upon different size clips without entailing any structuralmodification. In the past it has always been necessary to employ adifferent crimping head and crimp feeding track when substituting onesize clip for another.

The present invention eliminates this problem as a single crimping headmay be adjusted to accept and crimp any size clips used in closingplastic bags. This invention provides for an active tie between the camand nest elements of a crimping head. By relating these parts, it ispossible to vary the opening of the clipping jaws and nest in a definiterelationship to accommodate different sizes of clips.

This invention further provides for a single track capable of feeding upto four different sizes of clips, thus eliminating the necessity ofchanging the track whenever the clip size is changed.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a clipfeeding track capable of accommodating at least four different sizes ofclips in conjunction with an adjustable crimping head.

These and further objects and advantages will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the appended drawings in which FIG. 1 is apartial cross-sectional plan view of the adjustable crimping head;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the plunger and plunger limiting means;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of clips embodying the features of this invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the clip feed track; and

FIGS. 5 to 8 are plan views of the clip of the present inventionillustrating the crimping steps.

A preferred embodiment of the adjustable crimping head of the presentinvention, which may be readily associated with package sealing machinesand in particular the machine disclosed in United States Patent No.2,733,442, is best illustrated in FIG. 1 and comprises a casing 10,which may be attached to the package sealing machine in the usualmanner, and having substantially arcuate-shaped side walls 12, and theusual top and bottom closure members (not shown). A pair of opposedcrimping jaws 14 are pivotally mounted within the casing, as by thepivot pins 16, and have rearwardly and inwardly extending crimpingportions 18 disposed at their outer ends, with the other ends providedwith cam folmotion.

lowers 20 adapted to ride along opposed cam faces 22 of plunger 24. Theflat parallel cam surfaces 23 on plunger 24 will allow plunger 24 tourge punch 28 toward the crimping portion 18 of jaws 14 in the clipreceiving nest without causing the crimping portions 18 to move towardeach other. This motion completes the tightening of the crimp in theclip 52. Plunger 24 is slidably mounted and extends longitudinallybetween the crimping jaws l4, and is guided at its ends bylongitudinally extending guides 26 mounted inwardly on the casingclosure and the side walls 12. A floating punch 28 is carried by theupper end of the plunger 24 and is adapted for limited sliding motionrelative thereto, as by T-slot connection 30, or any other suitablelost-motion connection. Plunger 24 is longitudinally bored at its upperend to receive a coil spring 32, one end of which is disposed within thebore 34 of the floating punch 28 to continually urge it toward thecrimping portions 18 of jaws 14 defining a clip-receiving nest. Leafsprings as are disposed between and in engagement with the crimping jaws14 and sidewalls 12 of the casing to normally urge the crimping portions18 of the jaws into open position.

The plunger 24 is provided with a substantially quare slot 38 near itslower end and disposed centrally between cam faces 22. A multi-faced cam40 is eccentrically disposed within the slot 38 and has, preferably,four faces, 42, 44, 46 and 48, and is adapted to be rotated within theslot 38 as by the pin 50. Any suitable means maybe attached to the pin50 in order to rotate the cam 40 within the slot 38. As best shown inFIG. 2, the cam 40 is substantially square in plan and is eccentricallymounted about the pin 59 so that each of the cam faces 42 through 48extend a different distance, A, B, C and D, from the center of rotationof the pin, with the cam face 42 being the nearest to the center ofrotation and the cam face 48 being the furtherest from the center ofrotation. It is to be understood that the number of faces of cam 40 maybe varied in accordance with the number of sizes of clips to be employedwith the crimping head. Four have been illustrated here, in that theinvention also discloses a feeding track for clips, which feeding trackis adapted to carry four different sizes of clips, by way ofillustration only.

In normal operation, the plunger 24 is caused to move longitudinallytoward the crimping portions 18 of the crimping jaws by any suitableactuating mechanism, such as a hydraulic cam, mechanical lever, or thelike, normally employed in a bag-sealing machine. As the plunger 24 iscaused to move (FIG. 1), cam followers 20 cooperating with the cam faces22 of the plunger 24, cause the jaws 14 to pivot about the pins 16;whereupon the crimping portions 18 of the jaws move toward each other toact upon a clip, indicated generallyas 52, to crimp it about the twistedneck 54 of a bag to effect the proper seal. However, by adjusting thecam 40, the amount of movement of the plunger 24 may be limited and,accordingly, the degree of crimping by the jaws 14 may similarly bevaried .by restricting their pivotal Thus, if a large clip is to beemployed, the crimping portions 18 of the jaws 14 must move a greaterdistance relative to each other than if a smaller clip were to beemployed. Therefore, cam 40 is turned so that the cam face which isnearest to the center of rotation of the pin 50, in this case cam face42, is opposite the rear wall 56 of the slot 38, so that the movement ofthe plunger 24 relative to the cam 40 is the greatest. As the floatingpunch 28 is continually spring-urged toward the crimping portion 18 ofthe jaws 14, no matter how the cam 40 is positioned, the clip 52 isalways firmly engaged by the crimping portions 18 and the floating punch28. If I it is desirable to use a smaller clip, the cam 40 isappropriately positioned to restrict the movement of the plunger 24 byselecting one of the cam faces 42, 44, 46 and 48 which properlycorresponds with the selected size of the clip.

The preferred clip 52 to be employed with the crimping head of thepresent invention is best disclosed in FIG. 3. The clip 52 comprises'asubstantially flat base portion 60 having lower arm portions 62extending upwardly and outwardly at an obtuse angle from its ends. Upperarm portions 64 extend upwardly and inwardly from the upper ends oflower arm portions 62 at substantially a right angle therefrom. Theupper arm portions 64 are substantially of the same length as the lowerarm portions 62 and have outwardly and upwardly extending portions 66 attheir free ends, substantially at a right angle thereto. It is to beunderstood that although the overall size of the clip may vary, and ashere shown in four sizes, the relative dimensions of each size clip areapproximately the same.

During the operation of the crimping head, the clip 52 progressivelyassumes the positions indicated in FIGS. 5 to 8, with the position ofFIG. 5 being the first, and t .at of FIG. 8 being last. With the clip52in place in the clip-receiving nest, formed by crimping portions 18and floating punch 28 of the crimping head, it assumes the positionillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5 relative to the bag neck 54. As the plunger24 moves toward the clip 52, the crimping portions 18 are caused topivot inwardly about the pivot pins 16 through the action of cam faces22 and the cam followers 20, so that the clip assumes the configurationillustrated in FIG. 6.

As soon as the lost motion between the plunger 24 and floating punch 28has been utilized, floating punch 28 cooperates with crimping portions18 so that the upper arm portions 64 of the cliinp 52 are bent about thelower arm portions 62 into engagement with the bag neck 54 until theclip has assumed the configuration illustrated in FIG. 7, to collapsethe arms 62 and 64 of the clip so that it assumes the configurationillustrated in FIG. 8, the positive final engagement with the bag neck54. After the clip 52 has been completely crimped, plunger 24 moves awayfrom crimping portion 18 and the leaf springs 36 operate to pivot thejaws 14 to an open position in order that a new clip be inserted foranother crimping operation.

The preferred embodiment of the feed track adapted to accommodate fourdifferent size clips of the present invention is best illustrated inFIG. 4. Normally the feed track, indicated generally as 76, is disposedadjacent a usual clip retainer 72 of the bag-sealing machine andcomprises an elongated backing strip 74 having a substantiallyrectangular cross-sectional configuration. A plurality of longitudinalclip guides 76, one for each size of clip, each having a substantiallyrectangular crosssectional configuration, are disposed in a pyramidalrela- ,tion with the guide 76 having the largest cross-sectionalconfiguration disposed adjacent the backing strip 74. The sides of theclip guide 76 are engaged by the inner ends of the upper portion 64 ofthe clip 52 to guide the clips carried thereby.

It is to be understood that the clip track 68 may be secured to thebag-sealing machine so that the clips carried thereon will pass aboutthe customary clip wheel, separator block, and feed pawls to feed acontinuous strip of clips to the clip-receiving nest of the crimpinghead in the usual manner. Alternatively, the clips may be bulk fed intothe crimping apparatus, if desired.

The forward surface 27 of punch 28 may have marking die means thereon sothat the pressure of crimping the clip 52 into closed position willtransfer the design or lettering to the outer surface of the clip base60. Such identifying mark is useful for indicating the processing plant,process, machine or operator connected with the product packaged.

The largest size bag recommended for use with each size clip willcompletely fill the void included by the crimped arms 62 and 64. Thesmallest size bag recommended for use with each size clip will fill onlya portion of the void formed by the crimped arms 62 and 64 as shown inFIGURE 8.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this inventiondevices in which the various objects hereinbefore set forth, togetherwith many practical advantages, are successfully achieved. As variouspossible embodiments maybe made of the mechanical features of the aboveinvention, all without departing from the scope thereof, it is to beunderstood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

I claim:

I. A feed track for feeding a plurality of sizes of sub- StantiallyU-shaped clips in strips to the clip-receiving nest of an adjustableclip crimping head, said track comprising: an elongated backing strip; aplurality of longitudinal clip guides disposed on said backing strip inpyramidal relation and each of said guides adapted to be engaged by theopen ends of a U-shaped clip of corresponding size; each of said clipguides being of consecutively decreasing, generally rectangularcross-sectional configuration with the guide of largest cross-sectionalarea disposed adjacent said backing strip.

2. A feed track as defined in claim 1 wherein said backing strip andsaid guides are integrally formed.

3. A feed track as defined in claim 1 wherein said backing strip is ofsubstantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration, and including aplate disposed in spaced apart, parallel relationship thereto, wherebythe base portion of the U-shaped clips are received by said plate.

No references cited.

